Transportation apparatus



L'W CHISM. TRANSPORTATION APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 7, 1915.

Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

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L. W. CHISM. TRANSPORTATION APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 7, 1915.

Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- Inventov: Louis WC by W 31mm, YY 2 axis;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS W. CHISM, OF SPRINGFIELD. MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE STEEL PRODUCTS COMPANY, OF HARTFORD,

NECTICUT.

CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CON- TRANSPORTATION APPARATUS.

Application filed June 7,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS WV. CHIsM, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Springfield, I-Iampden county, Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Transportation Apparatus, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to transportation apparatus of the track and car or carrier type and is more particularly, though not exclusively, concerned with store service apparatus of the class in which the carrier is propelled along the track which it engages in. such a manner as to maintain its engagement therewith irrespective of the direction or location of the track with relation to the carrier, so that the latter may travel horizontally or vertically in an upright position or inverted without becoming disengaged from the track.

My invention is more especially concerned with features relating to the construction of the tracks of such systems, and will be best understood by reference to the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings of one specific embodiment thereof, while its scope will be more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan of a portion of a store service apparatus of the cable driven carrier type embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 of Fig, 2; 7

Fig. 4 is a side elevation at a reduced scale of another portion of the tracks shown in Fig. 1, and illustrating a helical twist or turn wherein the rails change from a horirental to a vertical plane;

Fig. 5 is a detail end elevation of a portion of one of the track supports showing the same before the track supporting armshave been bent to receive the rails; and

Fig. 6 isv a plan of the rail support shown in Fig. 5 but illustrating the rail supporting arms as they appear after being bent to receive the rails.

Referring to the drawings and to the cmis a sectional view on line 3-3 Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

1915. Serial N0. 32,493.

bodiment of my invention which I have selected for illustration, I have there shown a store service apparatus wherein one or more cash carriers 10 of a familiar type are employed to transport cash and sales slips from one part of the store to another. Cash carriers of this type are customarily provided with a pair of cable grippers 11 and 12 to receive an endless cable 13 which serves to propel the carrier along the tracks of the system, it being customary to provide two sets of tracks, one to guide cash carriers traveling in one direction, and the other to guide carriers traveling in the opposite direction. The main tracks of such systems are usually associated with each other as by being placed one above another, or one beside another according to the circumstances, and are ordinarily supported by a single set of supports to which the rails of each track are attached, these supports being usually snspended from the ceiling or attached to any other convenient support.

In the present exemplification of my invention I have shown two tracks mounted in the manner just outlined. One of these tracks is composed of a pair of rails 14:, 14, and the other is composed of a pair of rails 14, 14L, both pairs being secured to a plurality of rail supports 15, herein shown as hanger brackets disposed at suitable intervals along the rails. The latter guide the carriers by engagement with oppositely arranged grooves 16, 16 formed by pairs of guides 17 and 18 at each side of the carrier. It will be understood, however, that the carrier shown is selected merely for purposes of exemplification, and it is to be understood that my invention is not limited to the use of a carrier of this specific construction.

It will be observed that each of the rails 14 and 14: is generally oblong in cross section, as will be apparent from an examination of Fig. 3. Rails having this crosssectional shape are found best suited to the purpose because they can be easily attached to the rail supports, and because, where it is desired to produce a helix or twist in the tracks, this can be done very readily after the rails have been assembled with the rail supports while still preserving substantially the proper gage or spacing to receive the carriers, it having been found in practice that a section of track a few feet in length can be given a 90 twist without materially changing the gage of the track, and without distortion which would interfere with the perfectly free sliding action of the carrier along the rails. In twisting the rails there is no tendency for the flanges to spread apart but on the contrary, they tend to approach each other. This is desirable as the carriers will slide more freely and is a distinct advantage over round rails which must frequently be flattened at a helical twist to allow the carriers to slide freely.

At any given point in the helix, the greater 7 cross sectional dimensions of the rails en: tend in the same general direction and lie substantially in a plane common to both at that particular point. This is a distinct advantage because it enables the tracks to be assembled with their supports at the factory, and after arrival at the place of installation they may be twisted Without any previous preparation and then secured in the desired position.

Preferably each of the rails 14- is generally U-shaped in cross section and is provided with a pair of flanges 19 and 20 projecting in an outward direction with rela tion to the carrier. It will be observed that the rails are provided with opposed carrier guiding surfaces which are located adjacent the inner ends of the grooves 16 of the carrier and that each rail is further provided with oppositely arranged guiding surfaces serving to guide the oppositely disposed guides 17 and 18 of the carrier.

The flanges 19 and 20 are preferably spaced apart to provide between them a groove 21 to receive appropriate rail-supporting means, whereby a portion of the latter is inclosed within the rail and does not aflect the free sliding action of the carrier along the rail, it being unnecessary to drill or otherwise cut the rails for the purpose of attaching them to the rail supports, or to attach the adjacent ends of successive rail sections to each other, this being a distinct advantage, as will be readily apparent. This is well illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, wherein l have shown a pair of successive rail sections abutting at 22. At this point, the two abutting terminal portions of each rail are supported by a single support 15 provided with rail-supporting arms 23, which extend into the rail grooves 21 at opposite sides of the line of juncture 22. It will be understood, however, that the rails will not necessarily be thus joined or abutted at each and every rail support, but that the rails will usually be of such length that several rail supports will. be disposed at intervals along each rail section. It will also be understood that the rails may be joined to each other intermediate the brackets by the use of a piece of rod 24: inserted in the grooves of the abutting rail sections.

As a means for securingthe rails to the rail-supporting arms, and to the rods 2d, the rail flanges may be clenched onto the railsupporting arms, and onto the rods, by bending them toward each other, and if desired, they may be additionally fastened by what is known as electrical spot welding. If desired, the rails may be positively interlocked with the rail-supporting arms in any suitable manner, as by bending and doubling the arm upon itself as at 25 to form a terminal portion which is relatively thicker than the remaining portion of the arm, whereby, when the rail flanges are bent toward each other and clenched, the rail groove is narrower at its entrance than at its innermost portion, and hence the supporting arm cannot be withdrawn from the groove without first spreading the flanges to release the arm therefrom. The rails may be also similarly clenched to the rods 21. This is a distinct advantage, because the rails may be conveniently and rapidly attached to the rail-supporting arms and to the rods, by simply clenching the rails by the use of a suitable tool. As a means for preventing the rail supports and rods from becoming accidentally displaced lengthwise of the rails, the flanges of the latter may be clenched to a somewhat greater extent at either side of the support or rod, than at the support or rod itself, as for example as shown at 25 in Fig. 2, thus effectually locking the rail to its support against movement in any direction. In case the rails are spot-welded to their supports, however, this precaution will be unnecessary.

In order to facilitate the assembling of the rails and rail supports and to permit a flexing of the supporting arms, especially in case the tracks are given a helical twist as shown in Fig. 4:, the supporting arms may be relatively flexible, as at 27. This may be conveniently accomplished by stamping the rail supports 15 from sheet metal, with the arms 23 integral therewith, the shapeof the arms being at first asshown in Fig. 5, after which they aretwisted or bent, so that their ra1l-supporting portions are disposed .in the same direction as the rails themselves} The remainder of the rail support 15, however, may be comparatively stiff and rigid to withstand the necessary strains and stresses to which it is subjected, and thus to keep the rails properly spaced and lend the necessary strength to the structure. This may be accomplished by providing the rail support with a marginal flange 27 extending throughout a large part of its perimeter, and by providing additional flanges 29 and 30, the latter also serving as cable-receiving depressions which are sufficiently wide at their central portions to prevent injury to the cable by chafing.

In the specific example shown, the flange 28 projects in one direction, and the flanges 29 and 30 in the opposite direction, although of course, this arrangement is not necessary. A rail support, when stamped out of sheet metal, especially when in the form illustrated, possesses great strength in proportion to the weight of metal, and its cost of manufacture is but a fraction of that of rail supports which are formed of cast metal. The latter, of course, are apt to be very brittle and incapable of being flexed adjacent the point of support of the rails, and it is impossible to assemble the rails and rail supports and afterward give them the desired helical twist. The rails themselves, being of thin sheet metal, can also be manufac tured very inexpensively by drawing or rolling the proper rail section from fiat metal, and are not only much more inexpensive than solid round rails, but also lend themselves very readily to the operation of twisting, as well as their attachment to the rail supports and the joining of successive rail sections to one another as already fully described.

The rails 14; may be similar to the rails 1% and as herein shown are provided with flanges 19' and 20 between which is disposed the rail supporting arm 23,whose form and mode of attachment to the rail may be similar to that already described in detail in connection with the rails 14.

The rail supports 15 may be provided with one or more, herein a pair, of ears 31 provided with perforations 32 to receive the usual supporting wires by means of which the supports are customarily suspended from the ceiling, walls, or other supports.

While I have herein shown one specific form or embodiment of my invention for illustrative purposes, and have disclosed and discussed in detail the construction and arrangement incidental to one specific application thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is to be limited neither to the mere details or relative arrangement of parts, nor to its specific embodiment herein shown, but that extensive deviations from the illustrated form of the embodiment of the invention may be made without departing from the principles thereof.

Having thus described one embodiment of my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. A track comprising, in combination, a pair of rails, and supporting means therefor having a comparatively rigid portion in a plane transverse to said rails, and a pair of rail-supporting arms having twisted portions contiguous to the points of support of the rails.

2. A track comprising, in combination, a pair of rails, and supporting means therefor having a portion disposed in a plane transverse to said rails, and a pair of rail-supporting arms having rail attaching portions disposed in the same direction as said rails, and intermediate twisted portions.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

LOUIS W. CHISM. 

